⟢ One-shot Danny Phantom — Genre: Angst / Hurt — TW: Emotional Distress — Rating: T — AU? — First Person’s POV
———————
There he was—there it was.
My reflection stared back, the green glow of my eyes erratic, flickering like a faulty lightbulb. I wasn’t just looking at myself—I was looking through myself, and I hated what I saw. Not just the face staring back, but the endless spiral behind it—pulling me deeper into some unknowable abyss.
I couldn’t stop thinking about the battle. That one battle. Not with a ghost, not with some lurking threat—but with myself.
The dark part of… me.
The part that had escaped.
Again.
I’d won, of course—I had to believe that. I was the good side of myself, wasn’t I?
The hero.
But winning didn’t feel like triumph. It felt like a delay. Some whispers of the future lingering behind me, leaning over my shoulders, suffocating me with their burden.
I was afraid of becoming him.
That dangerous, older me. That monstrous version of myself that had been waiting all along.
All the—what ifs—it claws at the edges of my thoughts, unraveling my already frayed mind.
What if I couldn’t stop it? What if I was already becoming that monster? What if it was inevitable?
I stared deeper into the mirror, my fists tightening until my nails bit into my palms through my white gloves. I thought about my family, my friends—the people who had always been there. I’d already pushed them away, hadn’t I?
Maybe they aren’t even my friends anymore. Maybe I don’t deserve them.
Sam and Tucker had gone to college, following their dreams like normal people. Jazz was too busy carving her own path to stay. And me? I had stayed behind in the crumbling town I couldn’t abandon, giving up my dream of going to space. Protecting people was my purpose now. At least, that’s what I told myself. But deep down, I wasn’t so sure anymore.
Was it a noble choice—or a coward’s excuse?
You could still go. You could leave. You could be an astronaut. Fly into space. Fulfill the dream. Your dream.
But it wouldn’t be the same. Nothing ever would.
I gritted my teeth, my reflection rippling in the glass like a warped painting.
Happy thoughts, I told myself. But they didn’t come. They never did anymore. It was always easier to sink into the darker ones, to let them drag myself down into the undertow.
The mocking voices of ghosts, the weight of battles fought and won—none of it mattered in the face of the gnawing feeling in my chest.
My core.
It purred softly, a dissonant hum, both comforting and sinister.
It felt… so freaking wrong.
As if it didn’t belong to me anymore. As if Phantom—him was bleeding into me, hollowing me out from the inside.
My breath hitched. My fingers trembled as I gripped the edges of the sink. My eyes clenched shut, but it didn’t block out the image of myself—the warped, flickering, monstrous reflection staring back. I felt like a glass that was about to shatter, cracks spidering across my soul.
Stop it. Stop it. Stop it.
I punched my palms tighter until the pain jolted me back. But the ache in my chest was worse. Phantom wasn’t just part of me. Phantom was me.
My breath staggered in my throat—a sob trembling on the edge of release. My knuckles ached, my chest burned, and that pressure—that suffocating pressure—kept building on.
“Get out of my head!” I screamed, my voice raw, ripping through the suffocating silence.
The sound reverberated in the tiny room, crashing into the walls and returning to me like a ghostly echo. My reflection flickered again—glowing red of Phantom’s eyes overtaking my own for the briefest moment before fading back into green.
But it wasn’t enough.
“Leave me alone!” I shouted again, this time so forcefully that my throat hurt, as though I was tearing myself apart. The sound cracked into a wail—an uncontrollable, heart-shattering release.
Green tears left cold trails down my cheeks as I screamed again, and again, and again… until the room seemed to quake.
The mirror shattered.
Shards exploded outward, raining onto the counter, the floor, my arms. A jagged piece nicked my cheek, drawing a thin line of green that dripped down onto my trembling hand.
I didn’t care.
My reflection was gone—splintered into a thousand fractured pieces scattered at my feet.
My knees buckled, and I barely caught myself against the sink. My hands shivered, slipping on the porcelain.
I sank to the floor, my back pressed against the cold tile, knees pulled to my chest. My hands tangled in my snow-white hair as sobs wracked my body. Every shuddering breath felt like it might break me further.
The shards of glass caught the dim light, a kaleidoscope of chaos surrounding me, reflecting parts of me I couldn’t escape from.
I clutched my chest, my core still purring that discordant frequency—like a faint, mocking laugh echoing from deep within.
“I’m scared,” I whispered to—no one. My voice cracked. “I don’t want to become… him.”
My words dissolved into another sob as I curled tighter, the shattered mirror fragments glinting like stars against the dark void I felt, pulling me under.
“I will never turn into you.”
———————
Okay. First time I drew Dan. I was scared. Scared of those eyes. Those eyes that pierced the whole time into mine—no, through mine. I should’ve waited with his eyes until the end, but of course, I didn’t.
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here's a bunch of my absolute favorites for anyone who needs a distraction from the election <3 i will make a second post with shorter ones as well, this post will just be fics that are over 10k
Inheriting Love by Fictropes (22k)- Dan is a lawyer who executes wills in a small town in the English countryside, and Phil's aunt leaves him a house. One of the cutest fics I've read recently tbh, lots of banter and cows<3
Silver Arrows to the Heart by @evermorepeyton (137k, WIP)- How could i POSSIBLY make a rec list without including this masterpiece??? Dan and Phil are Formula 1 drivers, chaos ensues<3 sooooo much fun (and there are some really beautiful cool women in there too, just as a treat)
dancing on the blades (you set my heart on fire) by kishere (123k)- Dan is an amateur figure skater who scores a spot at the famous Lester training gym, where he meets the legendary Phil Lester and of course they fall in love... this one has sooo many cute fetus moments and wonderful cameos from Kath<3 absolutely love it
Like a Bowl of Oranges by cloej88 (@bitchslapblastoids) (47k)- Phil is a filmmaker looking to amplify queer stories in the media, Dan is a ghostwriter who's been writing a memoir on the side, you can guess what happens next. very VERY fun fic, lots of drama and lovely reflection, as well as the softest scenes between them. love this one (and the author :3)
The Odd Uneven Time by @yikesola (20k)- A 2009 fic from Phil's perspective, falling in love with a boy over the Internet. Absolutely WONDERFUL vibes, so so so cute (and it probably happened in real life ahaha)
Live Incidentally by yikesola (37k)- Phil makes novelty t-shirts and Dan buys them :) really funny, also some great Lester family moments
The Pianist Everyone Is Talking About... Is My Husband by @natigail (25k)- Dan is a famous pianist, Phil plays his songs on the radio, but nobody knows that they're actually married. Lots of chaos ensues, crazy fangirls can feel super represented, and Dan laughs at Phil about it all<3 this fic is so funny lol, highly HIGHLY recommend
Kick Me While I'm Down by jerserker (14k)- Dan and Phil join an adult kickball league! Phil just wants to make friends, and Dan... kicks everyone's asses <3 Really funny competitive Dan, fun times honestly :)
missing the obvious by Fictropes (14k)- Dan plays videogames in an anonymous Discord server at night, and during the day he goes to his boring office job and hooks up with his coworker Phil in bathroom stalls... I wonder how these two things could possibly be connected...
Our House by sierradeux (50k)- Dan is a real estate agent, Phil is a Youtube house flipper, they team up to cohost an HGTV renovation special and fall in love. With the house, obviously. But also with each other <3 this is one of my favorites guys I think it should be required reading for everyone on phannie tumblr
maybe this christmas by blackbirddan (13k)- it's November, im allowed to rec christmas fics now, right??? anyway, this one is HUGE for fans of the Lester and Howell families, just so so so soft and sweet and awesome<3
Strictly Come Dancing but make it GAY by natigail (176k)- i mean this one has a pretty self explanatory title... read for super hot dancer Phil, awkward celebrity Dan, and so so so many beautiful outfit and dance descriptions :3 seriously, I wish I could watch this season irl :( this is for sure in my top 3 fics of all time to be so honest
they grew up so nicely, didn't they? by natigail (15k)- Cornelia pov on meeting the boy Phil brought home, and then throughout the years. SO CUTE!!!!! really big for fans of outsider pov (me)
okie dokie<3 i will be making an under 10k rec list as well, so be on the lookout for that one!
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I wrote this fic a few days ago but I thought I'd link it here 🐰🖤
Bunny Up
Dan is recently back from We're All Doomed and after all of the excitement, he and Phil decide to spend a lazy day in. However, Phil has a little surprise for Dan, that they both end up really liking.
Summary: Six years after Dan and Phil's university relationship ends in flames, they find themselves unexpectedly reunited when Dan is set to have an author's signing at the bookstore where Phil works.
Pairing: Dan Howell/Phil Lester (+references to a former Phil Lester/male OC relationship)
Rating: Explicit
Word count: ~18k (completed)
Tags: alternate universe, bookstore, author!Dan, neither of them are youtubers, exes to lovers, eventual smut, getting back together, a bit of angst, different first meeting, references to depression, references to internalized homophobia, discussion of a suicide attempt (nondetailed), alcohol, hookup, happy ending
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ps. - just wanna say a MASSIVE thank you to @incogniphan , whose thoughts, suggestions and feedback made this story about a million times better (and about 3k words longer lol) than it originally was!!🙏❤️
